Ivanisevic wants one more Wimbledon

ANDREW DAMPFAssociated Press Writer

Published Tuesday, May 04, 2004

ROME -- Goran Ivanisevic is playing on borrowed time and knows it. But the lure of Wimbledon is too strong to quit.

Ivanisevic lost to Radek Stepanek 6-2, 6-4 Monday in the first round of the Italian Open. Afterward, the hard-serving Croatian explained what brought him back to the tour after an eight-month layoff with shoulder, elbow and knee injuries.

"I'm playing because I want to play Wimbledon and there are two choices: to stay home and practice for two months, which I don't want to do, because I don't have fun practicing anymore, or just be on the tour and play," Ivanisevic said.

"My shoulder is better when I play. Like an engine -- when you stop, then it needs time to go on again. Every time I wake up, I don't know if I can serve or not."

Ivanisevic's serve was working against his Czech opponent Monday, but the slow, red clay rendered it mostly ineffective, and he was broken three times. He also committed 29 unforced errors to Stepanek's 14 in a match that lasted just 54 minutes.

It was a sharp contrast from Ivanisevic's memorable Wimbledon championship in 2001, when he beat Patrick Rafter 9-7 in the fifth set. At one point in that match, Ivanisevic looked skyward asking for help from the heavens, he said later.

"But you cannot argue with God," said Ivanisevic, 32. "You ask him one thing, he give me what I want, and I want more. I know a promise is a promise, but I thought he's going to let me play. But since then, everything is going downhill."

Since Ivanisevic returned from his injuries in February, he is yet to make it past the second round in eight tournaments.

Last week at Munich, he lost to unheralded Alexander Waske in the first round.

His official ranking has dropped to No. 439, and the protected ranking that allows him access to top-tier tournaments might only last a few more events, depending on whether organizers grant him wild cards.

Against Stepanek, Ivanisevic looked straight ahead from his chair during changeovers. After, he sounded depressed.

"Everybody can play bad, but I don't feel good on the court," he said. "I felt a little bit lost, like I never played tennis before."

Ivanisevic rejected the idea that he keeps playing only for the money.

"Six thousand dollars is not going to help my financial problems," he said. "Every week I lose in the first round."

"There are times when I'm sure it's frustrating, and you can watch him and see that he's struggling," Henman said. "It's a confidence thing -- he hasn't played any matches. If he can get a string of matches, then no reason why he can't play a lot better than he probably has been.

"When you've played as long as he has and achieved as much as he has, he can play as long as he wants to. It's not for anyone else to decide for him."

Ivanisevic agrees.

"I want to come to Wimbledon," he said. "I think I deserve that, maybe I don't, but I think I do."